Moving violations and your car insurance rates
Those flashing blue and red lights in your rearview mirror can ruin your day – especially when you get hit with a ticket that can cost you hundreds of dollars.
Unfortunately the cost of the ticket isn’t the only expense you’ll get hit with: Your car insurance rate also may skyrocket. Car insurers have found that if you get a ticket for, say, speeding or a DUI, you’re statistically more likely to make a car insurance claim – so to counter this risk, they hike up your rate.
Using data from a Mar. 2014 insuranceQuotes.com study, we present the top five moving violations that cause insurance rates to skyrocket nationwide, as well as exactly how much your rate could increase.
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5. Failure to stop - Car insurance rate increase: 19%
Before you try to creep through that stop sign intersection without fully braking, consider the consequence if you’re caught and convicted: A 19 percent increase in your car insurance rate. So think twice before you try to perform a “rolling stop” or come to a halt past the limit line at an intersection.
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4. Speeding 1-15 mph over the limit – Car insurance rate increase: 21%
While getting caught speeding significantly over the limit (31+ mph) can cause your rates to jump by 30 percent, being pulled over for exceeding the limit by just a few miles per hour also can increase your car insurance rate by a hefty 21 percent.
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3. Careless driving – Car insurance rate increase: 27% 
Wondering what a careless driving traffic ticket is for? Really, it can be up to the cop that pulls you over, but typically careless driving is classified as unsafe driving behavior that indicates a driver’s lack of attention or lack of consideration for other people on the road. A careless driving ticket could apply to the following behaviors:
- Tailgating.
- Using a cellphone while driving.
- Driving through a red light.
One careless driving charge could increase your car insurance rate by a significant 27 percent.
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2. Reckless driving – Car insurance rate increase: 82%
A reckless driving charge is the 2nd costliest moving violation – this ticket can cause your car insurance rate to soar by over 80 percent. This major moving violation is considered a more serious offense than careless driving, as the convicted driver is considered to have displayed a wanton disregard for road rules and the safety of others on the road. What is considered reckless driving varies from state to state but it can include the following behaviors:
- Excessive speeding (for example, driving 20 mph over the posted speed limit.)
- Swerving.
- Running a red light while pedestrians are waiting to cross the intersection.
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1. DUI – Car insurance rate increase: 93%
It may not be surprising to most American drivers that if you’re convicted of a DUI, your car insurance rate will go up. But what may be shocking is how high that increase is – your car insurance rate may double and, in some states, your rate can even triple. For example, in Hawaii, a DUI charge can raise your rate by a staggering 289 percent.
What’s worse is that you are now considered a high-risk driver and in most states, you will pay inflated car insurance premiums for at least 5 years. In some states, like Massachusetts, your DUI remains on your driving record for a decade.
